Loki Thranduilion
by Sixty-four K
Summary: Loki is happy. He somehow knows that he didn't used to be, but now he is. He is the prince of all Mirkwood. He has a father who loves him, and an elder brother... why is this all starting to sound so familiar? Thor, meanwhile, is very worried. He made some sort of mistake while using the Tesseract to bring Loki home, and now needs help from his Midgardian science geek friends.
1. An Elven Prince

_**Here it is: my promised crossover:) This will probably be, at first, more Thor than Avengers. Hopefully the rest of that heroic team will show up soon enough.  
**_

_**I watched the Thor and Avengers movies for the first time about a week ago, and fell in love with Loki almost instantly. A crossover between these two fandoms seemed quite logical for me to write, since Tolkien based much of his personal mythology on Norse myths, as did C.S. Lewis, another author that I admire. This story was originally intended to be humorous, but instead turned out to have many potential feels, so it will be a little more angsty, and 'feely' than Life of Legolas(if that makes any sense). I hope that it won't be devoid of humour, though! Please review! I love reviews;)**_

**Chapter One: Elven Prince**

"Be wary, your highness. Although these woods are now far safer now than in years past, danger can still lurk in the shadows."

"There is no need for your warnings, Captain," smirked the prince of Mirkwood. "All this I know- although this 'danger' lacks to hold any great fear for me, for, indeed, why would but two of us venture so far from the palace in order to complete a task more suited for a larger party?"

The long-suffering Captain of the Royal Mirkwood Guard, Tauriel, shook her head. "While there is no need for a larger party, it would be folly to show excessive pride, risking one's life in a show of bravado. I don't want you getting hurt again."

The prince shrugged. "It must not have hurt too badly, for I cannot even remember that incident."

"You cannot remember because you lost your memory. If you hurt yourself that badly again upon my watch, your father will murder me."

"Something else will murder you first, more like. Look behind you."

Startled, Tauriel whirled about. At first, she saw nothing. Then, she saw a spider- a spider transfixed by a dagger, lying dead upon the forest floor, the branch where it had lately been resting still quivering from its fall.

"Still worried about me, my friend?"

Tauriel attempted to hide her shock, tossing her hair in a sign of friendly contempt. "Yes- but less."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hours later, the two warriors returned to the palace of Eryn Lasgalen. The guards dipped their heads in respect as the two spider- hunters strode through the gates, heading towards the throne room.

They entered that grand hall. Though they both had been in this room countless times, they still looked about in awe, for awesome was the hall of the Elvenking. As they drew nearer to the throne, however, their eyes became glued to the floor. They bowed before the throne, all the while counting cracks in the floor's shiny finish.

"How was the patrol today? Uneventful?" asked the melodious voice of the Elvenking of Eryn Lasgalen.

Tauriel nodded, eyes determinedly fixed upon the floor. "Mainly, my lord. We encountered but one spider, and that was slain by your son."

The Elvenking, examining his fingernails, smiled indulgently. "Good for him. You are dismissed, Captain."

Tauriel nodded gravely, then turned and left the throne room, leaving the prince alone with the king.

"Come here, my son."

The prince looked upward, green(?) eyes meeting blue. "Yes, Ada," he said. He arose, drawing nearer to throne.

"I'm proud of you, Loki," said Thranduil. "To think that just a few years ago, you were but a crumpled heap upon the forest floor. And now look at you! Drawing daggers, slaying spiders... it seems that there is almost nothing that you cannot do!"

"Yet I cannot recall anything prior to that incident, Father," said Loki, a rueful expression upon his face. "All of those years lost. I fear that they will never be recovered."

"But they are not lost to me, son," protested Thranduil. "Whatever you wish to know about your past is yours. All you need to do is ask, and I will tell you whatever you wish to hear."

"Thank you, Ada. Yet, being told about an event is not the same as actually experiencing it."

"I know," replied the king, a faraway tone to his voice. Then, his face brightened. "I do, however, have some gladsome tidings. Your elder brother, who has dwelt in Ilithien for far too long, is coming to visit! I am most excited about this, as it will be the first time that you have seen him since your... accident."

"Brother."

"Yes," said Thranduil, slightly confused. "I have told you about him, have I not? Of course I have. You know about Legolas, that incorrigible son of mine. I'm sure that you- Loki? Where are you going? Come back- Loki!"

Oblivious to the king's command, the prince of Mirkwood continued to walk away from the throne, away from the throne room, away from his father. Before Loki was completely out of earshot, however, the Elvenking heard two whispered words: "Not again."

_**Quote of the day: (Loki) "So, will you be bowing to me now, or later? I'll also accept a simple thank you, then bowing." (Marvel's Avengers Assemble: Season One: Episode 10: Doomstroyer)**_


	2. Oh, Brother

**_Thank you, reviewer, followers and favouriter!_**

**_This chapter is a little more lighthearted. This is the tone that I'd like to go for overall, however, it will sometimes vary._**

**Chapter Two: Oh, Brother**

"You did what?"

"I dropped him."

"You did WHAAAT!?"

"Stop it, Tony," said Natasha. "You heard the man. He dropped him."

Thor's shoulders slumped with misery, his head hung with shame. "I am truly sorry," he moaned. "It was an accident, I assure you- yet I must take the blame. I would labour with the trolls in their dark forges for a thousand years if I could bring my brother back!"

Tony Stark leaned back in his chair. He took a large swallow of Dr. Pepper, then groaned. "Seriously, Thor. We trust you to bring that maniac back to prison in Asgard. Then you go and DROP him(whatever that means). Now he's, I dunno, Odin-knows-where, and-"

"But Odin _doesn't_ know where," said Thor miserably. "Neither does Heimdall, who sees all. I've searched every corner of the Nine Realms, but have found no trace of my brother."

"Well, do you think he's dead?" asked Clint passively.

Thor did not like the hopeful expression on Clint's face. "Of course not," he scowled. "I would feel it if he was. He is my brother, after all, no matter what inane antics he may have commited."

"There's really no scientific explanation for that," said Banner scientifically. No one paid any attention to his cryptic comment.

"When you say every corner," began Cap, "do you really mean it? I learned in the army that it takes more than a quick glance to say that you searched a place. You need to take time, looking from different angles and from different perspectives."

"I have done all this," said Thor, "but it matters not. He does not, I think, exist within the Nine Realms any longer."

"So, he's dead."

"No, Barton!" thundered Thor. "I already told you that he isn't. I simply think that he is no longer within any realm."

"Are you sure?" asked Tony. "He could be on Vanaheim, or Svartalfheim, or maybe Helheim, or-"

"Stop it, STOP IT!" Thor bellowed. "Stop spouting the names of all the 'Heims' you know! He isn't on _any_ of them. Heimdall checked, and I checked. I promise you, I was thorough in my search. This is why I came here. This matter requires Science, which you, Banner, and you, Stark, possess."  
Clint and Natasha scowled. They hated being left out. Cap just grinned, oblivious.

"Well, okay," said Tony. "But we can't just use Science without a plan on how to use it. I mean, are we supposed to build a spaceship, or a realm-hopping machine, or what?"

"That is what Barton and Miss Romanoff are for," proclaimed Thor. "They are good at making plans."

"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Clint. "Are you just gonna sit around and wait for our plan?"

"Of course not, my friend," smiled Thor. "The Captain of America and I are going to go and play one of these 'video games' of which you so often speak of."

"Can we play Galaga?" asked Steve, his face bright with hope. "I love Galaga."

"We will play whichever game you wish, my friend," crowed the prince of thunder. "Come along," he said, escorting the defender of America out of the door. "I have procured Pop Tarts and coffee for our consumption."

The rest of the Avengers stood still, in shock, watching the two gamers disappear down the stairs towards Tony's Retro Room.

"I hope they don't get crumbs in your disk drive," Clint said snarkily.

"Disk drive?" asked Tony, raising an eyebrow. "Arcade machines don't got no stinkin' disk drives."

"You've got an actual Arcade Galaga?"

"Yep," smirked Tony. "You know the special thing about arcade machines?"

"What?"

"They're coin-op."

_Quote of the day:_

_Hulk: Some dead man took all the peanut butter!_

_Thor: What care I for the butter of peanuts?_

_Hulk: (roars)_

_Elsewhere_

_Hawkeye: Mmm. Peanut butter.(eats it out of a jar)_

_(Avengers Assemble season one: Blood Feud)_

**_Thanks for reading! Please review!_**


	3. A Letter to Ilithien

_**Thank you, everyone! You're all so kind. Please continue to review:)**_

_**Woodelfjedi, I can't PM you, so I'll reply to you here. I'm glad you're liking it! It's cool that you've watched Avengers Assemble. It seems like most people these days are only familiar with the movies, which, in my opinion, are excellent- but the TV shows should not be neglected! I admit, though, that I haven't watched enough of that show; I've mostly watched Ultimate Spiderman, but need to move on to Avengers.**_

_**Without further ado, here is the next chapter!**_

**Chapter Three: Letter to Ilithien**

To my dear son, Legolas

I am most thrilled at your intentions to journey home from Ilithien. You have been away for far too long, and I have much to tell you. I do, however, have something very important to tell you that cannot wait until you arrive home. It is imperative that you read this carefully and comply with every instruction.

You have a brother. I adopted him after you left on your quest of the Ring. I neglected to to tell you about him earlier, simply because I was unsure that he would live, for I found him near death in the depths of the woods. It was strange, for it seemed as though he had fallen from the sky... A lesser man would not have survived such a fall. Therefore, I adopted him, for he seemed a worthy son, and would comfort me in your absence.

I treat him as a natural-born son, and I expect you to treat him as your natural brother. I have not told him otherwise, for I wish him to feel as much a part of the family as you do. Please, treat him as though you know him already. I will give you further details once you have arrived home.

Your father, Thranduil Elvenking

P.S. His name is Loki.

* * *

Legolas stared in disbelief at the letter on his desk. It was a dreadful shock to him to be suddenly told that he was no longer the sole son of his father, let alone to be told to lie to his new brother, to tell him "I missed you," when he had never met the boy before.

Then, Legolas jumped, startled out his reverie by the slamming of a door, the heavy stomping of iron boots towards him. A familiar voice called out in his direction. "Legolas, lad? I've brought you your lunch. You've been holed up in here all day."

Legolas turned towards his long-time friend, the frown easing away from his face, though not disappearing altogether. "Thank you, Gimli," he said. "Set it down on my desk, would you?"

Gimli did as requested, standing on his toes in order to reach the surface of the desk. "Excited about your trip home, laddie?"

The elven prince merely gave a nearly indiscernible nod, humming subconsciously, turning back to further examine his father's letter.

Gimli strained to see the letter, eager to see what preoccupied his friend. Finding his height inadequate for spying out the contents of the letter, he asked, "What troubles you?"

Legolas turned, giving the dwarf a reluctant smile. "Let's just say that I am deeply disturbed by my father's dishonesty."

"Nice alliteration," said Gimli. "But more specifically?"

Legolas let out a half-exasperated sigh. "My father has found it to be an opportune time to tell me that, previously unbeknownst to me, I am now a proud older brother."

"Congratulations," smiled the dwarf, clapping his friend on the back. "Boy or girl?"

"A boy," said Legolas. "But he is no baby. Judging from my father's extremely vague letter, it sounds as though he is not much younger than I."

"So your father has had a secret son for all these years that he has only revealed to you now?"

"No, no, my friend," smiled Legolas. "He was but recently adopted. My father found him alone and injured in the woods. It would seem that my new brother had lost his memory, and my father, in some burst of genius, told this boy that he was, indeed, his natural-born son. Now, my father expects me to play along with this ruse, telling my new brother how I've missed him, perhaps inventing tales of escapades that we once shared in together."

"This is, indeed, a strange revelation," said Gimli. "What are you going to do?'

Legolas stared at the letter. "I don't know," he said. "I don't want to disobey my father, but I believe that it is wrong to lie to this boy. He deserves to know the truth. There is no shame in adoption. Why does my father tell him otherwise?"

"I'm sure that he must have his reasons, no matter how farfetched they may seem," said Gimli reassuringly. "I couldn't tell you what they are, but you would do well to speak to your father in person about it."

"I suppose you're right," agreed Legolas. "I can't make a final decision until I speak to him. I suppose that there could be some mental health issues or something else that prevents my father from telling my brother- Loki- the whole truth. I wish that I could do something to avoid lying, though. A relationship built on lies is scarcely a relationship at all."

_**Quote of the day: "That still only counts as one" (Gimli, RotK movie)**_


	4. Investigations are Underway

_**Thank you, everyone! I'm glad you're all enjoying it. Please let me know your thoughts about this; I won't reject any concrit. Here's another fairly humorous chapter:) By the way, these Avenger-centric chapters are inspired by one of my favourite fanfics, How to Live With a Demigod 101. It's in my favourites list, so, if you enjoy funny Avengers stories, I highly recommend reading it!  
**_

**Chapter Four: Investigations are Underway**

"How're you doing, Banner?"

"Not great," replied Banner with a sigh, turning to face Tony. "If Loki still had the Tesseract, I would be able to track the energy signature from the radiation. Fortunately, he doesn't have it anymore. Unfortunately, now I can't track him. How about you?"

"I'm halfway through my second carton of shawarma," began Tony around a mouthful of the aforementioned food, "but I haven't made much headway otherwise. I wonder if Thor knows what kind of power Loki's magic runs on. I mean, magic is fake, right? It's got to be something else running his tricks. Probably not electricity, but it's gotta be something. Something that we can track, preferably."

* * *

Black Widow and Hawkeye sat in the corner of the lab where Banner and Stark were working. Unlike their teammates, however, who were both hard at work with Science, the two SHIELD agents were engrossed in a game of checkers. Natasha always found it calming to play a strategy game while devising a plan. Clint didn't know how to play chess, and she didn't feel like teaching him how to play. Thus, they played checkers, a game that they were both somewhat proficient at.

"Come up with a plan yet, 'Tasha?" asked Clint, moving his black piece diagonal right.

"No", said Natasha. She responded to Clint's move by jumping his checker with her red piece. "I don't have much to work on," she continued. "The first thing is to determine his location. Then, if he's in trouble, we can send in a rescue party, or maybe just a single agent- whichever the situation demands. If he slipped away from Thor purposely, then we can discipline him accordingly."

"You always make everything sound so simple, Nat," sighed Clint.

* * *

"It's not fair!" moaned Captain America, pulling at his hair in anguish. "This is a free county, with equal rights for all! Why then? Why does this arcade machine insist that I insert another quarter? I don't _have_ any cash money! They told me that debit cards were the way of the future! All I wanted to do was play Galaga..."

"Perhaps this device requires a little persuasion," suggested Thor. He grasped the arcade machine with both hands and proceeded to shake it vigorously.

"No, no, Thor!" protested Steve, slipping from outraged hysterics to overwhelming worry in an instant. "Stark is going to be furious if you break his precious retro-" SMASH!

Both Thor and Cap felt their hearts stop beating. Their lives flashed before their eyes(although Cap's life finished flashing several minutes before Thor's, since Thor's life was so much longer). They stood there, staring at the destroyed machine. Then, Cap spoke. "Guess we'd better go tell Stark. We'll accept the consequences like the men we are."

Thor nodded solemnly, and the two of them walked sadly down the hall, bracing themselves for the dreadful punishment that awaited them.

* * *

"Hey, guys," said Clint, looking up from his book as Steve and Thor entered the library. "What brings you to this abandoned corner of Stark Towers?"

Cap sighed. "Thor broke the arcade game, so Stark told us to go lock ourselves in here as punishment. We're supposed to read something that'll make us smarten up, but I don't know what to read. There's been so much written in the last seventy years- and I doubt Thor even knows how to read."

"I can," said Thor, munching on a handful of Doritos, which he had so wisely brought along with which to fortify himself, "but only if it's written in what you modern mortals refer to as 'Old Norse'. A picture book would also suffice for my reading entertainment."

"How come you're here? I didn't think you were much for reading," asked Steve.

"I'm not really," admitted Clint, "but 'Tasha was driving me crazy with her checkers game obsession, and I thought I'd go to where it was quiet and read this."

"Let's see," said Cap. Clint reluctantly handed the book to the supersoldier. Steve read the front cover. "The Fellowship of the Ring."He flipped to the publishing information page. He smiled to himself; the book was originally published in 1954, only about a decade after his 'death' in the ice.

"I watched the movies about ten years ago," said Clint, "but I never read the books before. When Tony called me 'Legolas', I wanted to find out more about the guy, and see how great he actually was at arching. I haven't got to him yet, though. I'm kinda stuck in the Old Forest. That part wasn't in the movies."

Cap wasn't paying attention. Sitting in a comfortable armchair, he was already absorbed in the book. Clint noted that Steve looked completely relaxed, unlike his usual reading self. The supersoldier often seemed to have comprehension difficulty when reading, visibly frowning and silently repeating unfamiliar phrases to himself. It seemed, however, that most of the idioms in this book were old-fashioned enough for him to understand, so Steve was able to simply enjoy reading the book.

Clint was startled out of his reverie by a tap on his shoulder, which was delivered with as much force as a punch. Wincing, Hawkeye turned around to see Thor beaming down at him. "Would you lend me some assistance?" asked the prince of thunder. "I've yet to find a book written in Old Norse."

Clint groaned. There went his relaxing reading afternoon...

_**Quote of the day:**_

_**"That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." (Tony Stark: The Avengers)**_


	5. That's Why We Do Research

_**Thanks, everybody! This is turning out to be my most popular story(probably thanks to AoU). I hope you're continuing to enjoy it! Please review; that's the only way I can learn how to improve.**_

_** Lir, did you find the Old Forest yet? It's at the beginning of the book of FotR. It's really freaky, and wasn't included in the movies, but was referenced to in TTT, when Pippin and Merry were pulled down into the earth by that tree in Fangorn Forest.**_

_**On with the chapter!**_

**Chapter Five: That's why We Do Research**

"Tell me about my childhood."

Galion stared up, startled away from his job, mopping the floor. "Beg pardon, my prince?"

"My childhood," repeated Loki irately. "This brother of mine, of whom I have never heard reference to, will undoubtedly know all about my childhood. I wish to know at least half of what he does, so that I may not be seen as a complete fool before him."

Galion looked very uncomfortable, biting his lip, cracking his knuckles, and shifting his weight to his left leg.

"What is amiss?" asked Loki, irritation clearly evident in his voice.

"In all honesty, highness," began Galion, choosing his words carefully, "I know very little of your childhood. Your father has told me that you were a very intelligent, quiet boy, but I could have surmised that by your present manner."

"Very well. Tell me of my brother."

"As you wish, my prince."

* * *

Loki left the kitchens barely more enlightened than he had entered, but a great deal more confused. This brother described to him seemed to be too perfect to live. He was apparently a master marksman, wise, sound in judgement, and exceedingly fair. Galion had known Legolas for all of the prince's life, and, from all accounts, seemed very fond of him. But how, Loki asked himself, could Galion know this much of Legolas, the elder prince, and know nothing of the younger?

Ridiculous. This entire situation was ridiculous. His father was a tactless fool, the butler a half-wit. Surely they were idiots. Why had they not reminded him earlier of this brother? Why did they refuse him information with which to converse intelligently with Prince Legolas? If they would not tell him, he would find out for himself.

* * *

Libraries always possess a cozy sort of grandeur. The library of Eryn Lasgalen was no exception to this generalization. Loki gazed about the large room, nodding in appreciation of the incredible store of knowledge contained within its walls. This was, however, no time to simply stand and stare. This was a time to peruse this knowledge. Loki set about searching the bookshelves, opening any book that looked fairly new. Every now and then, he would become distracted, getting caught up in some tale that he had come across. Then, he would shake his head, abruptly attempting to re-focus his priorities, and would then resume his search.

Some hours into his scholarly foray, Loki heard the sound of soft elven feet behind him. "Can I help you?" he asked, turning around to peer suspiciously at this intruder.

"Erm, actually, I was wondering if I could help you," said the elf.

"Depends," said Loki, turning back towards the bookshelf, "on your level of expertise in book-finding."

"Oh, it's pretty decent," said the elf, joining in on Loki's search. "I kind of stay in the music section, though. What're we looking for?"

"The annals of my father's reign," said Loki, examining several ornately decorated tomes. "The more recent ones. I suppose that you wouldn't know how old I am, would you? That would narrow down the search somewhat."

"Nah," said Loki's new companion, straying over to a different bookshelf. "Maybe- well, I don't know. No one really knows how old Prince Legolas is either, so don't feel too bad. He could be 200, or he could be 2000. You're younger than him, though- that I know for a fact, so you must have been born after him."

"Yes, I'm sure," said Loki, rolling his eyes. "You're a master of deduction, you are, to have discovered that I'm younger than my elder brother."

"That I am," smiled the elf. "I'm Feren, by the way. Master of deduction, and the Elvenking's left-hand man. You know, since Galion's the right-hand one."

Loki nodded, sitting down in a nearby chair, a dusty tome in his hands. He carefully blew the dust off of the book before deliberately opening it. "It would seem that this library is not often used, judging by the volume of dust present," he said.

Feren, pulling three books off of the shelf simultaneously, coughed from the cloud of dust which erupted from the sudden movement. "I'll need to tell Galion to get on that," he said, waving away the dust cloud, "but yes, for the most part, if people want to read, they live in Imladris. That's where all the scholars live- we're all rednecks out here."

"I'll soon see an end to that," said Loki, settling down to read. "I don't approve of rednecks."

"Is that so?" asked Feren, walking over to Loki. He carried a sizable stack of books. "Now, then. You relax, highness. Find what you're looking for. I'll bring every one of the annals that I can find over here."

"I thank you for your help," said Loki, not bothering to look up from his book.

"That's what servants are for, highness," said Feren, mouth turned upwards in a friendly smirk. "If you need anything else besides the books, don't hesitate to tell me."

But Loki didn't answer Feren, so absorbed was he in his book. He did not come out of that library all of that night. When he grew too tired to read, he dreamed, and when he awoke, he resumed reading. He was glad whenever he awoke, for his dreams were strange- almost feverish. In every dream, he chased a golden-haired man- his brother?- but could never catch him, though he ran so swiftly that he thought that he would die of exhaustion.

_**Quote of the day: "Don't hit it, just press it gently." - Loki, Thor: the Dark World**_


	6. New Places and Old Enemies

_Hi everyone! Thank you all for your reviews, favourites and follows. I'm so sorry that I took so long to update; I've been having a bit of writer's block regarding this story. I'll try not to take so long again. I hope that this chapter meets your expectations; please review :) _

**Chapter Six: New Places and Old Enemies**

"Mother- please tell me you can find him. We've looked everywhere, but perhaps you can find him. I know you found him when he was in Chitauri space, so please, Mother..."

"Thor..."

Thor looked up from the floor, where he had been staring and to which he had been addressing his words to. "Yes, Mother?"

"I appreciate your concern," said his mother kindly, "but would you mind being a little quieter? It's hard for me to focus on finding your brother when you keep talking so."

Thor returned his gaze to the ground. "Yes, mother."

"Oh!"

Thor's gaze snapped upwards once again. "What is it, Mother?"

Frigga's eyes were closed tightly, her expression strained. "I... I'm picking up on something."

"Where is he, mother?" asked Thor, eagerness to know evident in his voice.

"He.. he is not in this realm," began Frigga, "nor in any other that I know of."

"Could he be in Chitauri space, Mother?"

"I do not think so, my son. I would know, for I have seen him there before."

"Then where, Mother?"

Frigga's eyes flew open. "He told me."

"Where?" asked Thor, voice raised almost to a shout.

"He said two words," said Frigga thoughtfully. "Eryn Lasgalen. And then he fell silent."

Thor's expression fell. "But I know of no place with such a name."

Frigga came to Thor, reaching up to pat his shoulder. "Do not be disheartened, my son. Perhaps some of your Midgardian friends might know of this place."

"They don't know very much, evidently," grumbled Thor. "I merely asked them to search the capital cities of their realm, and they were not even able to name the cities without the help of that mysterious device known as the Internet."

"Perhaps all they require is some of your confidence," said Frigga. "Do you remember when you were younger, and your father was teaching you how to wield your hammer? When he grew impatient with your lack of skill, you grew discouraged, and put less effort into your practising than previously. When he later realized that he was wrong, and expressed confidence that you would grow more skilled, you worked harder than you did before, and soon became proficient."

"Yes, Mother," said Thor. "Perhaps you are right." Then he sighed. "I certainly hope that that is the case, and not that they are merely incompetent."

"Give them a chance," said Frigga, smiling.

"Very well, Mother," said Thor, somewhat reluctantly. He reached out his hand, his mighty hammer Mjolnir flying to meet it. "Farewell," he said. Then he took to the skies, returning to the newly repaired Bifrost. As he flew, he thought of what his mother had told him- her advice, and the new information that she had given him. He could only hope that his Midgardian friends would be able to use this information, and that he had not made the journey to Asgard for naught.

* * *

"Where is he now?"

"He fell asleep on the couch. Poor guy- I guess that this whole Mjolnir-flying-searching business takes a lot out of him."

Steve nodded. "I guess. What did he say? Did he learn anything?"

"I think so," said Tony. "He says that Loki's in a place called 'Eryn Lasgalen'."

Steve's expression grew confused. "What's that?"

"Nothing that a little Googling won't fix," said Tony. "Jarvis?"

The surprisingly human voice of Tony's A.I unit answered. "You wish me to research Eryn Lasgalen, Mr. Stark?"

"Wow, buddy! You can really read my mind. That's right."

"No mind reading is required, Mr. Stark," said Jarvis. "I've been listening to your conversation, just as I always do."

"You can be surprisingly creepy at times, Jarvis," said Tony. "So, what have you come up with?"

Jarvis was silent, apparently thinking. A few minutes later, he responded. "I'm afraid that this name isn't going to help you, Mr. Stark. It's the name of a fictional wood- a forest from the land of Middle Earth. The name appears in The Return of the King, written by English philologist J.R.R. Tolkien in 1955."

Tony sighed. "I should have known." He paced across the room, his face hard. "I know that I've been lighthearted about this," he said, apparently addressing no one in particular, "but this has been going on for days. Loki is seriously dangerous. If he's just on the loose, he could be causing all sorts of havoc. He could be killing people, or enslaving them, or... I don't know, whatever his sick mind comes up with."

"Calm down, Stark," protested Steve, holding up his hands in a gesture that he could only hope that Stark would accept as peaceful. "If he was doing that sort of thing, I'm sure that we would've heard about it somehow. For all we know, he could be with those Chitauri again, or something."

"Well, I hope he is, then!" snapped Tony. "At least we know that he wouldn't be escaping again."

"That's kind of sadistic," said Steve, studying Tony curiously.

"Well... I don't really care at this point.." said the billionaire, staring back at the captain's steely blue gaze. After attempting to hold it for a minute, he looked away to the side, face growing into a scowl. "You know, I'm kind of tired of your sad puppy eyes. Think you could leave me alone for a little while?"

Steve sighed. "Fine then." Turning on his heel, he left the room.

Walking out the library door, Clint found himself narrowly avoiding a collision with the super soldier. "Where're you going?" he asked.

"On a walk." The captain didn't even turn back to look at the archer. "Stark's having one of his save-the-world hissy fits."

"Wait, what?" It was too late, however, for Clint to get an answer, for Steve had already run out the door and down the street. Shaking his head, Clint headed down the hall towards Stark's lab. He needed to find out what was going on.

* * *

It's tricky to sprint for an hour. Even jogging for an hour is more than most people can take. Nevertheless, if anyone can do it, Captain America can. Therefore, he did. Feeling exhausted, yet, satisfied, he walked leisurely down the street, back towards Stark Towers. His run had burned off most of his annoyance, and he was ready to try to discuss the Loki issue with the billionaire once more with a clear head.

"Excuse me?"

What a lovely voice. It sounded like how Tinker Bell would sound if she could talk- and we're not talking the straight-to-videos(Steve had been forced to watch far too many of those in his hours babysitting Alexander Pierce's niece). Steve couldn't ignore that voice. He turned around. "Yes?"

The speaker was the loveliest creature that he had ever seen. She was more fair than a naiad, and more slim than a fairy. Even the Robin's Donuts uniform that she wore looked fabulous on her. The girl smiled coyly at Steve. "Would you like to try our new Triple Trouble Bismarck?" she asked, brushing a loose tendril of mauve hair behind her pointed ear. "It's the most delicious thing you'll ever eat- it's got cream and two kinds of jam in it, and it's three times the size of a regular Bismarck."

"Uh... no, thank you," stuttered Steve. "I already had a doughnut this morning- it's not really good for me to eat a whole lot of sugar, you know, since I'm, you know, a super soldier..." Why was he rambling like this?

Tears filled the girl's shining eyes(one crimson, the other aquamarine). "Oh, please, you must!" she wept. "If I don't sell a certain amount of doughnuts every day, my employer will beat me!"

Steve's eyes grew wide, and his heart melted. "Is that even legal?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, my boss doesn't care about legal," said the girl. "He hates me, and he lets his daughters beat me. They love doing it, because they're jealous that I'm more beautiful than they are."

Steve's heart stood still. He could not allow such cruelty to take place. "Alright," he said, finally relenting in his fight against too much sugar. "I'll buy one from you. Then, I'm going to call the police."

"Oh, that won't be necessary!" gasped the girl. "I'm sure that he doesn't mean to be cruel, evil and deceptive. If you'd just follow me..."

Captain America soon found himself seated at a clean table in the corner of the surprisingly empty coffee shop. He was shocked to see the girl bringing the promised doughnut to him. "Aren't I supposed to go to the counter to pay for that?" he stuttered.

"Oh, no need," said the girl, her melodious voice ringing like a bell. "It's my break, anyway, so I thought that I'd sit with you. You can pay later."

"A-alright," said Steve. Accepting the doughnut from her, he nibbled tentatively away at it. Several minutes later(and only halfway into the massive confection), he was beginning to find the silence uncomfortable. Finally, he decided to make some conversation. "I'm Steve Rogers," he said, in a way that he hoped was friendly.

"Oh, yes. I know."

Disconcerted, Steve pressed onwards. "What's your name?"

The girl smiled. "Oh, I'm Mary Sue."

Steve wished that he had never asked her name.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Quote of the Day: **"**You know, for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and be on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearing tights." ~_Steve Rogers (Captain America: the First Avenger)_

_Please review! You don't know how much I appreciate even one short sentence!_


	7. A Small Confrontation

_I'm so, so, sorry for taking this long! I lost inspiration for a while, but I promise that I'll try to update more frequently. Thank you so much to all reviewers, favouriters and followers, especially to fantasyfan12341234 for her very encouraging PM. Please review- I always really appreciate it, and I'll try hard to reply to any that I get. Enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter Seven: A Small Confrontation **

As the day drew near for Legolas' arrival to the Greenwood, Thranduil grew increasingly excited. The inhabitants of the halls of the Elvenking were disturbed, but slightly amused, by the sight of Thranduil dashing about the palace, checking the inventories to make sure that Legolas' favourite foods were all in stock, making sure that Legolas' room was clean and in order, and any number of other tasks. Thranduil's positive attitude spread throughout the palace, and everyone grew pleasantly apprehensive towards Legolas' ever-approaching arrival. Everyone, that is, except Loki.

The dark-haired prince of Mirkwood couldn't help but feel somewhat left out. With no one available or willing to answer his questions, and his father occupied with matters other than his youngest son, Loki retreated into the library more frequently than ever. Whenever his new acquaintance Feren was available, the elf would join Loki in research, but Feren was growing increasingly more busy as well. Loki, therefore, often found himself alone. He liked it that way, of course. Alone was nice. Yet, somehow, he wished that someone would keep him company. In his solitude, he would repeat what he knew about his situation to himself. He knew that he lived in Eryn Lasgalen, formerly known as Mirkwood. He knew he was Loki, son of Thranduil. It was better talking to himself than to no one. Sometimes, it felt like someone was listening to him, although he knew it was impossible.

One day, it was just like any other. Loki sat in the library, curled up in his favourite chair with a weathered old volume. Suddenly, the door burst open. Tauriel flew through the entrance. She glanced side to side, then, seeing Loki, dashed towards him. "Loki! I've been looking for you everywhere! Your father wants to see you."

"You shouldn't have been looking for me everywhere," said Loki, not sparing a glance away from his book towards the Captain. "I've been here every day for the last several weeks. It should been obvious where I was. Evidently, you were not paying enough attention."

Tauriel looked hurt. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I haven't seen you for a long time, and I supposed that you'd found another hunting partner."

Loki put down his book, meeting her stare. "No, actually. I haven't gone hunting since the last time we went together. Rather, I have been doing research." He gestured towards the many bookshelves in the library.

Tauriel looked around the room. "Research? How... interesting."

Loki returned his gaze to his book. "I don't appreciate sarcasm."

"I didn't mean to be sarcastic." Tauriel wandered over to a bookshelf. She brushed a hand over top of the volumes on one of the higher shelves, feeling the gilt lettering beneath her fingertips. "Can I help? What are you looking for?"

Loki fixed her with a weary gaze. "It's information about my situation. I want to know my date of birth, information about my childhood, what I used to do with- with _Legolas_. My brother. It seems very strange that such information is withheld from me. Don't you agree?"

Tauriel's hand fell away from the bookshelf. "I... I don't think it's strange. Your father is your king. I think that he has the right to withhold what he pleases." Although her words exuded confidence, the tone in which they were delivered suggested otherwise. "You had better come with me. The Elvenking has summoned you. It's important that you come immediately."

Loki couldn't hold back a sigh of exasperation. It wasn't her fault, he supposed. If it really was the king's wish that he knew nothing of his situation, then Loki couldn't expect Tauriel to do otherwise but obey the king. Loki got up from his chair, carefully placing the book on a side table beside his chair, noting the page that he had left off on, and followed her out the door.

Loki and Tauriel soon arrived in the throne room, where Thranduil sat upon his high throne. The Elvenking's eyes lit up. "Loki! At last; you certainly took your time." Thranduil descended from his throne, unable to keep a smile off of his face. "At last, Loki. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Thranduil poked his head behind his throne. "You can come out now, Legolas," he whispered loudly. Then, he turned back towards the curious Loki, grinning widely. "May I present to you- your brother, Legolas."

* * *

_Quote of the day: "If I am for the axe, then, for mercy's sake, just... swing it!" - Loki(Thor: the Dark World)_


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